FC Barcelona is angry with Frenkie de Jong according to SPORT, citing anonymous sources, with the midfielder refusing to undergo surgery while showing no signs of improvement some six weeks after becoming injured.
De Jong returned to Catalonia with a foot injury following the Netherlands’ last 32 World Cup exit to Morocco at the World Cup.
That defeat came on June 30, and De Jong is still yet to go under the knife or show signs of improvement.
In a major blow to Hansi Flick and his squad planning ahead of the new season, De Jong’s absence timeframe has been put at three months in normal circumstances and anything up to six depending on how he handles it.
Furthermore, there’s also a feeling that De Jong didn’t give his all at the end of last season because his main priority was the World Cup.
February 22nd was the last time he played a full game for the club, which he joined in a high-profile move from Ajax in 2019 as the Champions League’s best midfielder that term.
He was then out for nine games, losing his place to the likes of Marc Bernal and Gavi across the last six matches he came back for for.
In the last two of the 2025/2026 campaign, De Jong played no part at all prior to linking up with Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands outfit.
On the eve of another season, Barça wants Frenkie to make a decision. Surgery is the club’s preferred method of treatment, but Frenkie opts for something more conservative that would reportedly keep him out of action for four months.
This could be Frenkie de Jong’s last season at FC Barcelona
That four month timeframe could have its benefits. If Barça manages to land Rodri, it can restructure the wage bill and fall on the right side of Financial Fair Play limits.
In normal circumstances, were he not injured, De Jong might already be placed on the transfer market just like midfielders such as Marc Casado and Tommy Marques, who have their exits described as “imminent”.
Rodri’s expected arrival after agreeing terms provides an “overbooking” in midfield, and the Spain captain is direct competition for De Jong.
In his injured state, there is no way that De Jong is moved on any time soon despite past links with Premier League giants such as Manchester United.
Effectively, though, this could be his last season at FC Barcelona if Rodri becomes the starting pivot charged with acting as a mentor to Marc Bernal.